General Awareness

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - May 2019

May 2019

Nov 21, 2019

Prince Andrew Stepping Back from Royal Duties

The Duke of York is stepping back from royal duties because the Jeffrey Epstein scandal has become a "major disruption" to the Royal Family.
Prince Andrew, 59, said he had asked the Queen for permission to withdraw for the "foreseeable future".
He said he deeply sympathised with sex offender Epstein's victims and everyone who "wants some form of closure".
Companies he has links with, such as BT and Barclays, have joined universities and charities in distancing themselves from him.
For several months the duke had been facing questions over his ties to Epstein, who took his own life in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.

Sri Lanka's new President picks Brother Mahinda Rajapaksa as PM

Newly-elected Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has named his brother, Mahinda, as prime minister, cementing the grip on power of a clan credited with crushing the Tamil Tigers 10 years ago.
Mahinda, a two-term president himself, is due to be sworn in as prime minister following the resignation of Ranil Wickremesinghe after his party suffered a humiliating defeat in the weekend's presidential polls.
The Rajapaksa brothers are credited with brutally destroying the Tamil Tigers to end Sri Lanka's 26-year-long civil war, with the security services they controlled accused of war crimes and multiple human rights abuses.

Nov 20, 2019

India Announces Visa Exemption for Foreigners Seeking Medical Treatment

India has announced a slew of exemptions for foreigners seeking medical treatment in India following the implementation of liberalised medical visa policy.
According to a statement released by the Consulate General of India in Dubai, exemption has been given to foreigners from getting their primary visa converted into medical visa. It will be applicable for obtaining indoor treatment up to 180 days for seeking admission in a hospital owing to illness.
Treatment of diseases which require organ transplant shall, however, be permitted only on a Medical Visa.

US Abandons its Four-decade Stand; Backs Israel's Right to Build Settlements in occupied West Ban...

Abandoning its four-decade stand, the United States has backed Israel's right to build settlements on the occupied West Bank in the Palestinian territories.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the US no longer believes that Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories are illegal and inconsistent with international law.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the United States statement deeming Israeli settlement not to be illegal rights a historical wrong.
But the Palestinian Authority decried the US policy shift as completely against international law.

Pakistan Resumes Postal Mail Service with India

Pakistan has resumed postal mail service with India, nearly three months after it was suspended in the wake of India's decision to end the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after New Delhi abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution to withdraw Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories.
India's August 5, 2019 decision evoked strong reactions from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties. Islamabad suspended all communication links with India as well as the trade ties.

Nov 19, 2019

US Says Israeli Settlements Are No Longer Illegal

The US has shifted its position on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, no longer viewing them as inconsistent with international law.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the status of the West Bank was for Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate.
Israel welcomed the move - a reversal of the US stance under President Donald Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama.
Settlements are communities established by Israel on land occupied in the 1967 Middle East war.
They have long been a source of dispute between Israel and the international community, and the Palestinians.

Jaishankar, Bhutan FM Hold Talks; Vow To Strengthen Economic, Defence Ties

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his Bhutanese counterpart Lyonpo Tandi Dorji and discussed ways to strengthen ties in key areas such as trade, investment, defence and security.
It is learnt that the two leaders reviewed the entire gamut of India-Bhutan relations, including the security situation in strategic areas.

Putin's Pet Space Project Vostochny Tainted by Massive Theft

Russia's new Vostochny space centre has lost at least 11bn roubles (£133m; $172m) through theft and top officials have been jailed.
Russia's Federal Investigative Committee (SK) says it is handling 12 more criminal cases linked to theft in this mega-project, which Mr Putin sees as a strategic priority for Russia, because of its huge commercial potential.
The longest jail term handed down so far was 11-and-a-half years for Yuri Khrizman, former head of state construction firm Dalspetsstroy.

India Ranks 59 On IMD World Talent Ranking Report; Switzerland First

India has slipped 6 places to 59 rank on a global annual list of 63 countries, due to low quality of life and expenditure on education, according to the latest edition of IMD World Talent Ranking, which was topped by Switzerland.
The ranking, which is based on the performance in three main categories -- investment and development, appeal and readiness, noted that India is also lagging behind fellow BRICs countries - China ranked 42nd on the list, Russia (47th) and South Africa (50th).
Switzerland retained its title as the world's top talent hub, while Europe led the way in fostering the best conditions for competitiveness in a skills-scarce global economy.
Denmark was placed second and Sweden was in the third place.
The Top 10 was completed by Austria (4th), Luxembourg (5th), Norway (6th), Iceland (7th), Finland (8th), the Netherlands (9th) and Singapore (10th).

Nov 18, 2019

Czech Anti-Government Protesters Mark Anniversary Of Revolution

At least 200,000 people have protested against the Czech government in the capital, Prague.
Demonstrators are calling for Prime Minister Andrej Babis to resign over allegations of fraud.
It is alleged Mr Babis used European Union subsidies for his private business - something he denies.
The protest was held on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, which ended communist rule in what was then Czechoslovakia.

Australian Politicians Banned From China 'Will Not Repent' For Criticism

Two Australian politicians refused entry to China have said they will not retract their criticisms of the country.
Andrew Hastie and James Paterson, both members of the government, were due to go on a study tour in China.
But their visa applications were rejected, and the Chinese embassy said they could only visit if they were to "genuinely repent" for their comments.
Both Mr. Hastie and Mr. Paterson dismissed the demand.
The conservative politicians have been outspoken critics of China - singling out its human rights record, and its alleged interference in Australian politics.

Emiratis To Get India Visa On Arrival

Emiratis can travel to India free of prior visas, they can get visa on arrival.
Government of India, with effect from November 16, 2019, has decided to extend the Visa-on-Arrival facility to nationals of the United Arab Emirates.

White House Condemns Iran For 'Lethal Force' Against Protesters

The White House condemned protest-hit Iran for using "lethal force" against demonstrators during unrest that left two dead - a civilian and a policeman - and saw authorities arrest dozens and restrict internet access.
The United States supports the Iranian people in their peaceful protests against the regime that is supposed to lead them.
The unrest erupted, hours after it was announced that the price of gas would rise to 15,000 rials per liter (12 US cents) from 10,000 for the first 60 liters, and to 30,000 rials for any extra fuel bought after that each month.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa Wins Sri Lanka Election

Gotabaya Rajapaksa has won the Sri Lankan presidential election after a closely fought race against ruling party candidate Sajith Premadasa, with the country's Election Commission declaring him the winner.
Rajapaksa, a former defence secretary during Mahinda's 10 years in power, based his campaign for the election on providing strong leadership on national security issues, following coordinated bombings in April 2019 that killed 269 people.
His campaign was also backed by Sinhala Buddhist monks who have called for greater controls to be placed on the island's roughly 10 percent Muslim population following those attacks.

Nov 17, 2019

5 Indian Students Qualify For Oxford Big Read Asia Contest

Five students from India are among the finalists of Oxford Big Read Asia Challenge, an annual reading and writing campaign for primary and secondary students.
The winners from India are B R Nimeesha (from Madurai), Ananya Sheorey, Saara Sen, Neha Chhajed and Sama S Jahagirdar (all from Nagpur).
Among the other winners are two students from China and one each from Pakistan and Malaysia.

US Senate Unanimously Passes Resolution Honouring Sikh Community

The United States Senate has unanimously passed a resolution recognising the historical, cultural and religious significance of the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, besides the Sikhs' contributions in the US' growth.
Introduced by Republican Senator Todd Young from Indiana and Democratic Senator Ben Cardin from Maryland, the first of its kind resolution on Sikhism was passed by the US Senate.
The resolution said Sikhs in the US and around the world live as per the values and ideals of equality, service, and devotion to God, first preached by Guru Nanak.
The Senate resolution also mentioned four eminent Sikhs for their contribution to the US.
The Sikhs figured in the resolution included Dalip Singh Saund, the first Asian-American Congressman, elected to the office in 1957; Dr Narinder Kapany, the inventor of fiber optics; Dinar Singh Bains, the largest peach grower in the United States; and Gurinder Singh Khalsa, the recipient of the prestigious Rosa Parks Trailblazer Award.
The resolution also recognized the contribution of Sikh women Grammy-winning artist Snatam Kaur; New York Police Department police officer Gursoach Kaur; and University of California, Berkeley professor Supreet Kaur.
Indiana-based Khalsa welcomed the passage of the resolution.

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